If Lockdown doesn't work in the new strain?

[Coffeeandte]

www.google.co.uk/amp/s/amp.lbc.co.uk/news/tier-4-end-london-matt-hancock-november-lockdown-did-not-work/

If it doesn't work then what?

I am not keen on it being referred to as the British strain either.

Is it as bad as it sounds?

Around where I live I assume Nov lockdown didn't work because so many people ignored it.

I get that schools stayed open but half the shops on my local town continued to trade either with a way round the rules (the range) or offered click and collect.

As soon a the lockdown ended, pubs and cafes were full, shops packed...

I’m in Kent and I’ve lost count of how many people I know who’ve caught covid or just recovered from it. Considering I only new 2 people before December, I assume most of the folk who’ve caught covid have this new strain.

Everyone so far I know has recovered, and don’t know anyone with long covid, or who have died. The virus is well and truly endemic in my town and neighbouring villages.

Obviously it’s not a nice virus and I’m sure it’s hospitalising the very elderly and the vulnerable. I’m not looking forward to catching it as I’m CEV but I’m kind of resigned to it. Knowing friends who’ve gone through it makes it seem less scary.

I didn't personally know anyone who had Covid before December. I now know tons of friends and their families with it, most of whom stick to the rules.

I’m Kent too. At the end of lockdown my borough’s numbers were plateauing at 600/100000. A week later we started climbing again, now we’re on about 830. I do wonder what would have happened if lockdown had carried on for another couple of weeks - would we be falling, sticking or climbing again. Tier 4 is effectively the Nov lockdown for us so I guess we’ll just have to wait and see.

The unfortunate truth is lockdown will not work unless the schools are closed too, but the government is reluctant to do it as it is so understandably unpopular with parents who have to work.
I struggled homeschooling and dread having to repeat it but with kids stuck in classrooms all day with no social distancing, masks or ventilation it's inevitable that the virus will spread through families. The latest graphs show there is a rapid growth of positive cases in primary's as well as secondary's so as unpopular as it is, I can see the government having to make some difficult decisions in the next few weeks 😢